Suspicions
Upon hearing the latest news, Guinan pays Beverly a visit in her private quarters, complaining of tennis elbow "Geordi beat me in straight sets." As she tends to the ailing bartender, the casually dressed Dr Crusher explains how disobeying orders and violating medical ethics mean that she is "not a doctor on this ship anymore".
	"It all started when I got curious."
In addition to the Ferengi scientist Dr Reyga, who has developed a "metaphasic shield" which according to his computer simulations can be used to take a shuttle craft right into the heart of a sun's corona, Beverly has tempted four other interested scientists on board the Enterprise to witness the trial of this new technology.
Reyga confidently offers himself as the test pilot for the first observed flight, but in the interests of impartiality, the Takaran scientist Dr Jo'Bril volunteers for this pioneering mission.
All is seemingly OK during the test flight, when Jo'Bril suddenly becomes ill and subsequently dies in sick-bay, where Beverly later notices a very low rate of cellular decay after his death.
	The crew and scientists watch as Jo'Bril is in trouble.
Despite Data and La Forge being unable to find any fault with the specially modified shuttlecraft, Dr Crusher reluctantly stops further tests, mindful of her general responsibility for health and safety on the Enterprise.
		Dr Crusher prohibits further test flights after the death of Jo'Bril.
But things only get worse as Dr Reyga is then found dead from an apparently suicidal phaser discharge. Beverly is convinced that Reyga would not have taken his own life, so she seeks the captain's permission to perform an autopsy. Respecting the Ferengi death ritual customs, Picard expressly forbids it.
Without recourse to her usual line of medical tests, Dr Crusher makes enquiries to the remaining scientists, but without progress.
	Beverly wishes she was in sick-bay rather than a science lab.
Recognising the need for answers to the deaths of two personally invited scientists, Beverly decides to ignore the captain's instruction and performs the forbidden autopsy on the Ferengi, which to her dismay reveals no forensic clues. She tells Picard of her action, accepting the inevitable dismissal from duty.
As her private physio continues, Guinan urges the already officially inactive doctor to continue her detective work with a so what, "You could be relieved of duty ?"
		The suspended doctor thanks nurse Ogawa,
		then decides to test the modified shuttle herself.
As the Enterprise loses contact with the shuttle in the sun's corona, Dr Jo'Bril springs out of hiding to confront Beverly with the news that his pretence of death was an abuse of his Takaran "physiostasis". Now he is intent on taking the shuttle as a weapon after flashing a signal which the Enterprise will think is a warp engine breech destroying the shuttle. After killing the doctor, all he has to do is wait a while for Enterprise to give up its futile search.
The doctor suprises Jo'Brill with a kick and uses the shuttle controls to send him off balance. In the ensuing fight Jo'Bril drops his phaser, with which Beverley is forced to kill him.
With all the answers, Beverly returns to the Enterprise, able to celebrate the break-through work of the late Ferengi scientist.
	In Ten-Forward, Beverley thanks Guinan for her advice and encouragement.
When she presents Guinan with a state-of-the-art tennis racquet, cushioned to absorb all vibrations, Beverly can only laugh when Guinan admits that not only does she not have tennis elbow, but she has never played tennis in her life.
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